Friday Five: 5 Ways To Win At Black Friday Shopping

Happy Friday… I honestly can’t believe I’m already writing this post but it is officially ONE WEEK until Black Friday!!! How, just HOW is this possible? You’ll know from Monday’s post that Thanksgiving is my absolute favourite time of year here. We just had our work Thanksgiving last night (I’m still so stuffed) and I’ll be spending the day itself (next Thursday) with family – It’s always such a fab day!! After Thanksgiving of course, comes the annual Black Friday sales and they are a pretty amazing way to save a lot of $$$ in the run up to Christmas.

Like with any sale you’ve got to be strategic and plan ahead to really make the most of them. It’s way too easy to get carried away when you see XX% off something but you can’t let the discounts get the better of you or your bank account. With this in mind as I’m planning my purchases for next week, I’ve decided to share 5 tips to win at the Black Friday sales. Here goes…

1. Do Your Research

The key to making the most of any sale is doing your research ahead of time. If possible, I like to go to the store a few days before Black Friday, so I can see what I want and try everything on when it’s quieter than sale day. This way when it comes to the day I can either go to the store and not have to worry about trying things on, or even better, shop from the comfort of home knowing exactly what size I need to buy.

2. Shop Online

Personally, I hate shopping in store when it comes to sales. They’re way too stressful and you aren’t guaranteed to get your size after all your effort. Take my advice from my first point, do your research and cut down on the stress by shopping online.

3. Get There Early!

Whether you decide to shop online or in-store, get there early. I always go to Zara in New York on Black Friday and I’m always one of the first people in the store. It’s so quiet when I get there that I can fly around the place and have free reign on the sizes and the dressing rooms. By the time the shops start to get really crazy, I’m already at home with a nice cup of tea.

The early rule applies for online shopping too. Just because they have your size now doesn’t mean it’ll last forever!

4. Know Your Discount Codes

When it comes to Black Friday there is always a discount code. Remember Black Friday is an American thing and it’s only with the growth of the internet that it has became a global event. But many stores require a discount code for you to be able to take advantage of their Black Friday offers, so make sure you have the one you need before you head to the checkout.

5. If You Wouldn’t Pay Full Price For It…

As with any sale, if you wouldn’t pay full price for what you plan on buying in the sale, then you shouldn’t buy it when it’s half price either. Clearly you don’t really love it enough if you won’t spend the money it. This is obviously waaay different with high end pieces.

And that’s it. Do you have anything else you’d add? Remember Black Friday isn’t really one day, it’s more of a full weekend that runs into Cyber Monday, so there’s plenty of time to nab a bargain over the weekend.

Be sure to check back next week when I’ll be sharing lost of more Black Friday posts including my favourite Black Friday Sales (with discount codes)!